[NU 02251414] Old Fawdon Hill [NAT] Camp [NR] (1)

The highest of the Fawdon Hills has marks of an entrenchment. (2)

A doubtfull hill fort enclosing approximately 6 acres. (3)

(Slight traces) Type B1 (Forts on hill-tops with artificial defences following the natural line of the hill. (4)

The outline shown on OS 6 inch corresponds with a band of outcrop rock situated around the 1000 feet contour, on a prominent hill with steep slopes (gradient between 1 in 2 and 1 in 3) in all directions. The outcrop has been quarried into in places leaving a series of shallow pits and, in some places, spoil from the quarrying has formed a low stony bank. The length of the perimeter of the fragmentary bank so formed is so excessive as to make it unlikely that this was intended to be a defensive line: a rampart closer to the summit would not only have a shorter perimeter, and so be easier to defend, but would afford better concealment to the defenders. There are no traces of an approach, any entrances, or of internal habitation.
The position is ideal for a hill fort, but whether there was such a fort here must be considered very doubtful. A stream on the western foot of the hill is the nearest source of water. (5)

There is no visible evidence of an earthwork, the site appears to be purely natural with superficial depressions probably due to surface quarrying. Published survey (25 inch) revised. (6)

(See illustration card). The remains of a rampart are visible as a turf-covered stony scarp around the 300m contour of Old Fawdon Hill, enclosing an area 190m north-east/south-west by 150m north-west/south-east. There is a break of about 90m at the steepest slope on the hill in the north-west, where the rampart has probably eroded away. An offset entrance is clearly discernible in the south probably approached from the saddle to the west. It is possible that this
rampart was completed and several small quarries along it may possibly be original but could also be later (ie modern exploratory digs).
Inside the interior at NU 02281415 is a circulat enclosure (14m diameter) consisting of a low turf-covered earth and stone bank with an entrance in the east. Around this are several smaller circular platforms scooped into the hillside and clearly the remains of hut stances. (Several other probable stances are visible elsewhere in the interior but snow made survey and further determination impracticable at this time).
In the west 50m below the rampart are the remians of a bank (0.7m high 4m wide) with a ditch or 'walk' on its uphill side (0.7m deep 3m wide) extending down the hill for about 180m due west. (It is possible that this was intended to connect with the settlement (NU 01 SW 2) to the west thus forming a protection across the approach up Fawdon Burn from the north-east). Though in an excellent defensive position the rampart remains are too slight for it to have been a fort as such and with the evidence of the internal hut stances it must be classed as a defensive settlement.
Surveyed at 1:10000. (7)

NU 023141. Old Fawdon Hill was re-surveyed in 1979. It revealed visible remains of 34 timber houses and house platforms and indicated three possible phases of construction for the settlement. (8)

Additional bibliography. (9)

Scheduled. (10)

The summit of the conical Old Fawdon Hill (315m OD) is surrounded by a slight enclosing rampart, preserved intermittently to a height of up to 0.4m internally and about 0.7m externally, on the 300m contour approximately. There is an oblique entrance on the S side about 2.5m wide. There may have been other entrances on the E where there are several gaps in the escarpment. On the steepest, NW, slope the escarpment is not apparent. The rampart is nowhere strong but the site is in a commanding position on the highest hill in the immediate vicinity and completely overlooking Low Chubden (NU 01 SW 8). There are a number of quarry scoops behind the rampart and the enclosed area contains up to 61 hut circles, of which 13 may be regarded as doubtful. Of the 48 definite house sites three are ring-banks, two are ring-grooves, nine have front aprons as well as backscarps and the remainder are simple scoops. The ring-banks and ring-grooves are all large, having internal diameters ranging from 7.8m to 12m, while the scarped houses exhibit a range of sizes, from 4.0m to 8.0m in diameter, with most (thirty-nine) clustering between 5.0m and 6.5m. Other features within the enclosed area include long scarps up to 1.5m high, probably natural slopes which have been artificially scarped, and two circular holes, 2m in diameter and up to 0.6m deep, immediately behind the N rampart. Gates and Ainsworth (Authority 4) surveyed a groove within the enclosure which they took to be part of an earlier palisade. The groove is about 15m long, 0.4m wide and 0.15m deep. They also surveyed a groove around the E and N sides of the existing rampart; this varies from 0.3m to 0.6m in width and is as much as 0.5m deep, and also shows as a vegetation mark. As noted by Authority 3, a linear bank and ditch [NU 0214/2] appears to be attached to the W side of the rampart. Further details are contained in the project archive. (11a)